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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Pygmies

Pygmy \Pyg"my\, n.; pl. Pygmies. [L. pygmaeus, Gr. ?, fr. ? the fist, a measure of length, the distance from the elbow to the knuckles, about 131 inches. Cf. Pugnacious, Fist.]

  1. (Class. Myth.) One of a fabulous race of dwarfs who waged war with the cranes, and were destroyed.

  2. Hence, a short, insignificant person; a dwarf.

  3. One of a race of Central African Negritos found chiefly in the great forests of the equatorial belt. They are the shortest of known races, the adults ranging from less than four to about five feet in stature. They are timid and shy, dwelling in the recesses of the forests, though often on good terms with neighboring Negroes.

    Pygmies are pygmies still, though perched on Alps. And pyramids are pyramids in vales.
    --Young.

Wiktionary
pygmies

n. (pygmy English)

Usage examples of "pygmies".

That the gentleman whom he had been the means of rescuing, among others, from Earthquake Island, should be met with so unexpectedly, was quite a coincidence, but when it developed that he was bound to the same part of the African continent as were Tom and his friends, and when he said he hoped to rescue some missionaries from the very red pygmies so feared by the old elephant hunter--this was enough to startle any one.

However, it seems that they did not take proper precautions, for not long ago there was a great battle, the blacks were attacked by a large force of the red pygmies, who overwhelmed them by numbers, and finally routed them, taking possession of their country.

We couldn't get much of a line in Majumba on where the country of the red pygmies is located.

Some of the negro tribes admitted having heard of the red pygmies, and others, with superstitious incantations and imprecations, said they had never heard of them.

In fact, all but one of the hunters came back to report that there was no sign of the red pygmies in that neighborhood.

Damon and the other two men would stand by to fire on the red pygmies as soon as they commenced the attack, which they would undoubtedly do as soon as the guards of the captives raised the alarm.

Once he had a mass of red pygmies located, he could keep on shooting charge after charge into their midst.

Around and over them the golden pygmies danced to the throbbing of the little drums.

Some, the pygmies played with thumbs and fingers, and some with palms of their hands, and some with sticks.

I had the feeling that there was furtive intercourse between Sirk and the golden pygmies, that perhaps the horror of the Sacrifice which both shared, and the revolt of those in Sirk against the worshippers of Khalk'ru was a bond.

We walked along the well-kept path that ran along the base of the cliffs in which the pygmies had their lairs.

The pygmies who had followed us were pouring through the oval doorway.

The river guards she told us the pygmies put on the job when the bridge was broken.

All along the cliffs were the golden pygmies, scores of them, beating upon great drums high as their waists.

And around her was another ring of the golden pygmies, arrows at readiness, sickled knives in hand.